Roman Ice

An Archaeological Thriller

By: Dave Bartell

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

His priceless discovery will make history… if someone doesn’t steal it first.

Darwin Lacroix needs to avenge his family’s disgrace. Archaeologists dismissed their claims of Roman treasure buried in the far north, laughing off an ancient scroll found under Mt. Vesuvius.

Until now. A recently uncovered diamond cache in Iceland proves the existence of a long-lost fortune.

Darwin rushes to Reykjavik, but when a powerful cartel joins the hunt, his quest becomes a race to reveal the mother lode first.

With a volcanologist and an unsavory diamond expert on board, Darwin’s search for riches meets lethal obstacles at every turn. Deep underground, he’s faced with choices that could determine who gets out alive.

ROMAN ICE is a thrilling suspense novel for fans of Steve Berry, Clive Cussler, Daniel Silva, and Ernest Dempsey. If you like alternate history, archaeological adventures, and complex characters, then you’ll love Dave Bartell’s action-packed tale.

What reviewers say:

"This tale is fast-paced from beginning to end. It simply grabs ahold of the reader and won't let go."

"...vivid imagery and rich character development."

"... the human connection mattered even more than the search for knowledge."

"...like being on an actual dig! More twists and turns than the lava tubes!!"

”Pure Magic. Loved it from start to end. Believable characters and solid plot. Makes you want to take up caving.”

“Great story with a lot real life scenarios based on Roman history, science infused without too many boring details, great characters coming to life in survival mode, suspense, along with some humor thrown in. ...can’t wait for the next one!”

”An unusual idea for a plot, well done presentation interesting characters with complex reason for joining Darwin. The author made you think that this could be real. The writing is concise, to the point. The science is real, well researched.”

“true page-turner read in two days. Could not put it down. I’ve been in lava tubes in Hawaii and the concept of travel in them really hit home for me. Great story, always taking different turns, and a great ending.”

”... a brilliant adventure tale. ...I was thoroughly engaged from the arrival in Iceland until the last page. I was hooked by the fascinating concept, the realistic and surprisingly in depth characterization, and the plot which was studded with great complications and a feeling of urgency. The author gave credibility to his wild tale by his very realistic portrayal of some lovable characters whom I hope to encounter again very soon. Could be the next Indiana Jones series!”

The story itself is good, I like historical fiction but couldn't fully get into the artifical reading of the book.

I don't care for "virtual voice", I'm old fashioned in that I like to hear the human inflections and emotions while listening to a story.

AI Voice is a “NO” from me

I thought I would give a story that has an AI narrator a chance and I am sorry I did. The voice was not engaging, did not rise or fall at the appropriate moments and was so awkward, I struggled greatly listening to the story. I listened to the end, as I hate to leave a good story in the middle, but it was painful. I will avoid AI narrators in the future!